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Grok Squat for women

07-10-2013, 09:31 PM

I a having serious issues with the grok squat. I can get down into the position correctly, but if I push my weight back onto my heels without holding on to something I immediately fall over. I don't seem to be getting any better practicing with something to hold me in position.

I am wondering if it is more difficult because women's center of gravity is more toward the hips (thus dragging us backwards) whereas men's center of gravity is toward their shoulders so when they lean forward into the squat this helps balance them out.

Also does anyone have tips for improving on my grok squat/ways to identify what is tight and screwing me up?

This info might be somewhere else but I can't find it so I would appreciate any advice or further info.

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The more I squatted the easier it got. I had to work on ankle flexibility. At first I squatted with my feet turned very far out to the sides and almost sat on my instep, otherwise I would fall backwards. I have been working on bringing my toes in more over time, and I don't fall back anymore. That having been said, I do feel the need to lean forward just slightly in order to get my center of gravity over my feet. My shins are not exactly perpendicular to the ground and my knees are a little bit too far forward.

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I found for me it was an issue of strength and technique. I have always been flexible and worked on flexibility. But it was just really awkward. I can see for some people flexibility would also be an issue.

What I found was that holding onto both doorknobs of an open door or a sturdy vertical post gave me the support I needed to go down safely while finding the foot positioning that worked for me. At first it felt horrendously awkward, but within a week I had progressed to the point where I only needed steadying. And a week later I was comfortably doing full depth with no support.

About that time I recommended it to my girlfriend, and she made the same rapid progress as I had.

Comment

Thanks foe the responses, perhaps I am doing it incorrectly because it also feels a far cry from being a relaxed position (I do suspect part of that is that I have never been very flexible). Does anyone have a link to a sight that breaks it down step by step? On here I just keep getting sent back to mark's video which to me is not very helpful.

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Primal, my trainer had me start all the way down in the squat position. Picture a toddler squatting to inspect something on the ground. I stayed that way until I couldn't stand it. He had me do it next to something so I could steady myself. I did it three times a day. Because of a badly broken leg almost two years ago and back surgery over twenty years ago, both flexibility and strength were my issues. I can now eat a meal in a squat if I choose to and my Groc squat is full motion and fairly effortless. I like the idea of using 2 door knobs instead of back against the wall so as you progress, you can lighten your hold.

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Thanks foe the responses, perhaps I am doing it incorrectly because it also feels a far cry from being a relaxed position (I do suspect part of that is that I have never been very flexible). Does anyone have a link to a sight that breaks it down step by step? On here I just keep getting sent back to mark's video which to me is not very helpful.

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I also recommend squatting as often as possible. Any time you have to get something from the foor, squat to get it instead of bending over. Don't limit bodyweight squatting to exercise time. That helped me a lot.

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Echoing what others have said: sounds like ankle mobility issues. I had this problem when I first started Crossfit, and would always have trouble on stuff like overhead squats and snatch, where balance is key. I've come a long way since then by being really diligent about stretching my ankles before and after workouts.

Stretch 1: Kneel on one leg. Shift your hips and your center of gravity so that most of the weight is going into the front leg. Extend the front shin forward so the knee is headed in the direction of the toes. You want to hold your front, planted foot by the heel, basically cupping it with your hands and pushing the heel into the ground, while you push the knee forward. Imagine bringing your shin to lay on top of your foot. That's what you want to think about.
Stretch 2: Sit with your legs tucked parallel beneath you, both knees pointing straight forward, the tops of your feet pressing into the floor. Place your hands on the ground behind you and, keeping the tops of the feet glued to the floor, gently start to lift your thighs up, bringing your knees off the floor. You may only be able to go a couple inches; this one can be pretty intense for a lot of people.
Stretch 3: Sit with your legs tucked beneath you, but also tuck your toes beneath you. Try to sit up as straight as you can. You might find this difficult in the foot; keep your hands on the ground in front of you and just ease back to rest on your heels slowly.